Mountain View hires several new teachers

Mountain View Elementary School will have several new faces in teaching positions when the 2013-14 school year begins.

At a board meeting Monday night, July 22, school directors hired the following elementary teachers: Jennifer Keating, Jamie Esgro, and Steve Farrell. Glen Mackey was appointed K-12 technology teacher.
The board also accepted the resignation of Eric Boylan as K-12 music teacher.

Karen Voigt, director of curriculum and instruction, offered the board an overview of a new math core curriculum. She provided each director with a packet containing the primary outline of the plan being created by a number of district educators under Voigt’s guidance.

“The board will have the opportunity to approve the overall curriculum,” Voigt told the directors, “but not every aspect, because it will continually be changing according to adjustments the teachers feel are necessary as the curriculum evolves.”

Although the board tabled renewing the district’s ASSET/STEM Education Membership Agreemen, Voigt stressed the importance of being involved in the organization.

“The membership fee is listed as $1,600 for the year,” board vice president Tom Stoddard pointed out, “but how do we know that it won’t be more? We don’t have a list of extra charges for services the organization provides.”
“I have that list,” Voigt explained. “All of the charges for individual modules are on line, and we won’t be charged for anything we don’t want.”
Voigt said seminars and conferences provided by the organization are “very helpful” for teachers. She and elementary science teacher Scott Fisher will attend an ASSET Leadership Conference on August 13.

Business manager Joseph Patchcoski told the board that bus and car contract inspections had been conducted and completed by the state police for the 2013-14 school year. He said most vehicles passed inspection, with a few minor details concerning van specifications.

He added that car/van drivers should be aware of regulations concerning signage.

“They must either remove or cover the sign ‘School Students’ when operating the vehicle for personal use,” he stated. “Otherwise, if they get caught with the sign on the vehicle when they’re not driving students, they will be cited. There are some young, aggressive police out there, and they won’t hesitate to hand out violations.”

The next board meeting is Monday, Aug. 12, and a special meeting was approved for Monday, Aug. 26.